SEASON OF SHARING / A Perfect Wordless Way to Share Thanks for a Life Saved

Judith Scherr, Chronicle Staff Writer

Published 4:00 am, Tuesday, December 29, 1998

1998-12-29 04:00:00 PDT SANTA ROSA -- How does a person say thanks to someone who saved her life?

One woman had a hard time finding words to express her gratitude to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital nurses for their sharp thinking during a medical emergency earlier this year.

After some thought, Karen, who asked that her last name not be used, decided the best way to honor the nurses was to donate $1,000 in their names to The Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund.

Karen's trip to the emergency room could have ended in disaster. The eight-year Santa Rosa resident suffers from Crohn's disease, a chronic intestinal disorder that flares up periodically and sends her to the hospital.

Several months ago, when she was rushed to the emergency room in severe abdominal pain, a doctor ordered an IV and prescribed a penicillin derivative.

But Karen is allergic to penicillin, a fact she says is noted in her records. The nurses had added the medicine to the IV and were about to pump it into her veins when one nurse re-examined Karen's chart and saw that she had an allergy.

Karen never found out the name of the emergency-room nurse who spotted the problem. She remembers her as a young woman with curly red hair and green eyes. "She went and found another doctor," Karen says. That doctor prescribed the appropriate medicine.

"The nurses in our system are underappreciated," Karen says. "I found them to be extremely dedicated. I feel very grateful to them."

She decided to recognize them publicly by giving in their honor to her favorite charity, the Season of Sharing. The fund, sponsored by The Chronicle, KRON-TV and Bay TV, supports low-income people in the Bay Area by covering their one- time critical needs.

Karen is cautious about where she gives her money. She learned a lot about charities with excessive administrative costs from her husband, who she said was "involved with a fund that spent hundreds and thousands of dollars on overhead."

The Season of Sharing Fund appealed to her because she knew her contribution would be used expressly to help someone in need; overhead costs are funded by grants from The Chronicle and foundations, as well as by agencies that sponsor families receiving grants.

Attorney Elizabeth Barker is another Season of Sharing donor who made a contribution on behalf of unsung heroes. Barker sent $150 to honor her support staff at the alternate public defender's office in Martinez.

Barker says her secretaries are on the front lines, receiving anguished telephone calls from people accused of a crime, or fielding anxious calls from loved ones of the accused. "It's very stressful," she says.

The pressure on the office staff multiplies when callers cannot reach the attorneys, which is most of the time, because they are usually in court. The secretaries manage to build friendly relationships with callers, reducing the stress on all sides, Barker says.

The public defender chose to donate to the Season of Sharing because stories are often about low-income people down on their luck, many of whom remind Barker of the people her office serves. "I know that it really helps them," she says.

Giving to the Season of Sharing in the name of the office staff provides recognition to low-paid workers who do not always get the kudos they deserve, Barker says. "They are dedicated to their work."

DONATION INFORMATION

Donations to the Season of Sharing Fund help thousands of people

throughout the year. Assistance is in the form of grants paid directly

to the supplier of services, such as a landlord. Individuals cannot

receive direct grants.

You're a big part of the Season of Sharing project. and we're interested in your ideas and opinions. You can e-mail us at sos@sfgate.com , or write to Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund, P.O. Box 44740, San Francisco, CA 94144.